Florence Burgat – författare

This interdisciplinary volume deals with the most painful situations encountered by animals in the wild or under human guardianship. It seeks to illustrate some remarkable cases and present a general picture of the commodification of animals. This volume starts with an exploration of the capture of animals intended for European zoological parks, the treatment of animals in South Korea, pig farming in China and animal testing in Europe. It goes on to explore animal politics, with a focus on Europe. The moral problems posed by the different types of harm caused to animals are then approached from the vantage point of moral philosophy. Finally, the points of view of veterinary sciences and applied ethics related to animal emotions, suffering and death complete the picture.

This interdisciplinary volume deals with the most painful situations encountered by animals in the wild or under human guardianship. It seeks to illustrate some remarkable cases and present a general picture of the commodification of animals. This volume starts with an exploration of the capture of animals intended for European zoological parks, the treatment of animals in South Korea, pig farming in China and animal testing in Europe. It goes on to explore animal politics, with a focus on Europe. The moral problems posed by the different types of harm caused to animals are then approached from the vantage point of moral philosophy. Finally, the points of view of veterinary sciences and applied ethics related to animal emotions, suffering and death complete the picture.

This interdisciplinary volume deals with the most painful situations encountered by animals in the wild or under human guardianship. It seeks to illustrate some remarkable cases and present a general picture of the commodification of animals. This volume starts with an exploration of the capture of animals intended for European zoological parks, the treatment of animals in South Korea, pig farming in China and animal testing in Europe. It goes on to explore animal politics, with a focus on Europe. The moral problems posed by the different types of harm caused to animals are then approached from the vantage point of moral philosophy. Finally, the points of view of veterinary sciences and applied ethics related to animal emotions, suffering and death complete the picture.

Florence Burgat, philosophe, travaille actuellement au Laboratoire d''anthropologie sociale du Collège de France. Les hommes entretiennent des relations contradictoires avec les animaux. D''un côté, ils les exploitent, les manipulent et les massacrent. D''un autre, ils se laissent volontiers parasiter, polluer, voire dominer par leurs animaux domestiques. Ils n''ont pas trouvé la bonne distance. Dans cet essai philosophique, Florence Burgat analyse comment, depuis l''Âge classique, l''homme a voulu se définir contre l''animal, comment il a recherché sa différence spécifique dans la non-animalité. S''arrogeant les facultés nobles - la conscience, la pensée, le goût esthétique, le sentiment moral - il en a privé l''animal. Il pouvait ainsi disposer à sa guise de cet être dépourvu de dignité. En contrepartie, l''homme a dû refouler sa propre animalité; notamment sa sexualité, ce qui a fait la fortune des psychanalystes. Florence Burgat ne se contente pas de ce constat négatif. Elle ouvre des perspectives. Elle poursuit la voie tracée par Jean-Jacques Rousseau suivant laquelle l''homme, comme l''animal, est un être sensible, donc qui souffre. Et elle esquisse une nouvelle morale sur cette base.